Fact Sheets on the European Union

Economy, science and quality of life

The single market is the EU’s greatest achievement. With former customs barriers now dismantled, people, goods, services and capital can now move freely throughout Europe. To bring this into being, EU legislators have adopted hundreds of laws to remove technical, regulatory and legal barriers within the Union. To complement the single market, the European Union has developed a set of policies which have a profound influence on the lives of its citizens and businesses. The environment, health, consumer rights, competition, taxation, energy, industry, research and social policies are all areas in which the Union has its say. Economic and monetary union (EMU) means greater coordination of the Member States’ economic and monetary policies at European level and a commitment to avoid excessive budgetary deficits.